The Space Around Us
by rainbowthefox
Summary: Tony and Sketch wake up in an unknown place as humans. While they try to figure out how what's going on, a blossoming relationship develops between the two as they try to find their way back home. (Padlock/AU/Humanized. A DHMIS/Don't Hug Me I'm Scared fic. Rating titled to change.)
1. Chapter 1

A cold breeze brushed against him. The ground underneath felt hard and non-existing. His fingers dangled in what seemed like midair and his shoes were mounted on nothing at all. He felt heavier than he did before. Much warmer, yet cold. He was breathing more than he usually did and he felt fabric against his thin limbs. He probably fell asleep on the table again. Yes, that's it. The last time he did was because Colin smacked him upside the head with a chair when he refused to go into that insane digital world. Yet all he could hear around them was nothing but the faint ringing in his ears...

Wait.

 _Ears_?

Tony opened his eyes. He was expecting the blackness and tiny details of the cloth on the table, but instead was greeted with a vast space of nothing. He saw stars flying from afar and he felt nothing supporting his body. He felt a racing in his chest he hadn't before. He sat up in panic and frantically looked at himself. He was wrapped in clothing and had a much larger width than his clock body had before. He had legs, arms, and a... _heart_?

Tony brushed his sleeves aside and took a look at his arms. They weren't solid or made of metal at all. He had _skin_. An odd tint of blue to it, but that wasn't what freaked him out. He had a red lining all over his skin with marks of time. That would only happen to humans who entered time travel. But why was it _underneath_ his skin?

He stood and looked around him. Space was everywhere. The stars, the universes, light...this wasn't good. How on Earth did he get here? And _why_ was he human? How the Hell was it possible, anyway!?

 **"SKETCH!"** He yelled. His voice was the same, but this was the first time he felt the vibrations coming from it. He placed a hand on his throat and swallowed. It felt weird. He needed to get used to it...

His exclamation echoed and seemed to go on forever. He wasn't in space, then. He took a look around and walked down...nothing. It either was invisible passageways, or the space around him was a mere trick that played his eyes. He couldn't have been dreaming. He felt temperatures he hadn't before, and a literal _beating_ was in his chest, now. Even when he DID dream himself as human, it wasn't anything realistic like this.

 **"COLIN!"** He yelled and looked around. He couldn't see anyone. Where could they have all gone!? He must've been asleep for only...erm...5 minutes! The house was _filled_ with other talking, inanimate objects. It was impossible for it to just be _him_...

 **"...SHRIGNOLD!?"**

Tony took a few more steps in a random direction. He was pretty sure this was all a hallucination. This place felt like a room, but it wasn't. He felt like he was walking on air, but he wasn't. He wouldn't say getting turned to a human would be impossible...After all, he WAS a talking clock. But how could it have been done? Was someone in charge of this!?

 **"ROY, I SWEAR TO GOD! IF THIS IS YOU AGAIN, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"** He yelled to no one in particular. He waited for a response.

...

...

...

Tony sighed and took a glance down at his wrists. His left one held a golden watch. Apparently, it was 3:15 A.M. That is, if time even EXISTED here...wherever he was. His sleeping schedule should only last 3 more hours. Someone or someTHING must have interrupted it. He ALWAYS woke himself up on time! It was the best, ironic thing about being your own alarm clock. And everyone else's, for that matter.

He put his wrist down and stared in front of him. All he could do was wander around until he could find something. That's how he made his way out when he traveled time.

* * *

He walked around for what felt like hours before he finally saw something. It was a rather tall figure, and they were laying on their side. All he had to see what a bunch of white that immediately got him running towards it. Could it be a person!? A thing!? A place!?

Dear _God_ let it be home...

When he reached the figure, he stopped in his tracks. It _was_ a person. They had short, curly hair with multiple colors. Their skin was made of black...something...and they were wearing a white dress. It had a lot of symbols on it that reminded him of the kitchen back home. The layers underneath it were red, the texture reminding him of blood. When he reached his hand out to touch them, he touched something gooey. He pulled his hand back and looked at whatever came on it.

 _...Ink?_

He looked back at the figure. Their "skin" was dripping off of them, but when it came off, it didn't land on anything. He moved so he could get a front view of them. They had long eyelashes and lipstick that he assumed was made of ink. When his eyes traveled down them, he noticed the breasts underneath their dress. Was this... _a girl_?

Wait a minute.

"Sketch?" He asked. He leaned forward to touch her, but then her eyes opened. When she looked at him, she let out a high-pitched scream. She started to kick him in panic and tried to crawl away. He grabbed the sole of her shoe to stop her.

"Stop!"

She kicked his face in return, making Tony let go and rub it in pain. When she backed away from him, she held out a pencil in defense. The end of it was sharp as hell, and it was pretty damn long! Her arm shook and she took multiple breaths in panic. She asked, "W-Who are you!?"

"It's me..." He wiped the blood off his mouth. "Tony."

"Tony?" Her eyes widened. She shook her head and came closer to him, pencil aimed towards his neck. She said, "That's not possible! He's a _clock!_ "

"Yeah?" He snapped. "And the Sketch I know is a _freaking notepad_! Take a look at yourself!"

She paused to take a look at herself. The first thing she saw was her arm, and she screamed. She threw the pencil in his direction and Tony dodged at the last second. She looked at her dress and screamed even more. He placed his hands over his ears. He could go a high pitch, but _damn_...

"Calm down." He said, and took a step towards her. "Are you alright?"

"T-Tony!" She ran towards him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Look at us! What kind of creatures are we!?"

"We're _humans_." He replied, taking her hands off of him. She was shaking. Her black eyes took a look around in fear and she started to bite the ink on her nails. She spat it out and stuck her tongue out in disgust. He laughed.

"This is NOT funny!" Sketch yelled at him. "Where are we!? Why are we human? And how did you recognize me without paper?"

"It's easy." Tony replied. "The curly, colorful hair...the kitchen designs on your dress...and especially the _ink_."

She took a look at her arms and shivered. He couldn't blame her. If his body were made out of ink, it'd feel weird as hell. He never liked it, either. Ink was far too gooey and made a mess wherever it was...just his luck that she had it _everywhere_ on her. As if she didn't make a mess when she was just paper...

"You look weird, Tony." Sketch tilted her head at him. "Your skin's all blue and the clothes you're wearing are weird. And what's up with the _facial hair_?"

He placed a gloved hand to his chin and felt a goatee. When he felt his jawline, he coulf feel some stubble there, too. What _was_ with it? In his dreams, he never had any hair at all. He knew he could care less, but he still felt self conscious. She always made fun of him before.

"Y-Yeah?" He stuttered. "Well, you're made of _freaking ink!_ You don't even have skin besides the one on your face!"

She crossed her arms and stuck her bottom lip out, pouting. She said, "Well, it's not MY fault I'm like this!"

"It's not my fault, either!"

Things went silent. The two eyed each other. Not out of spite, but they were taking the situation in. Compared to their original counterparts, they looked weird. It wasn't normal for a clock to suddenly have hair growing, nor for a notepad to have ink for skin. Tony knew that the depths of time could falter your appearance, but not like _THIS!_ If anything, you'd look like a big pile of goo.

Tony asked, "So you're a girl?"

Sketch took a glance down at her chest. She shivered again at the sight of boobs. She looked at him and shrugged. "I guess so! I've always felt like one before when I was paper."

"Hmm." He mused, and took a look around them. No one else was around. It was as if everyone were scattered in different places of...well, wherever the hell they were! But if he found Sketch, then that means he could find the others. He didn't really want to, though. All he wanted to do now was get _out_...

"Say, Tony?" Sketch asked. "Are we in space? There's a lot of stars and colors! It's beautiful!"

"No." He replied blatantly. "For one, we're humans. They need oxygen. Space contains none whatsoever."

"Then where are we?" She turned back to him. "All I remember is Shrignold yelling, 'IN THE NAME OF LOVE!' and then he pulled his lever thing. But then YOU just HAD to wake me u-"

"Wait a minute." He interrupted. "You remember _what_ , exactly?"

"Hm?" Sketch asked. "Oh, yeah! You don't remember? Yesterday, Shrignold dragged the two of us into that cloud room of his and wanted to 'test our love'. You, being the boring, dull guy you are, refused to and tried to leave. Then, he strapped us down with this weird thingy pointed at us! He must've shot us with it, I guess."

"And now we're here..." Tony said to himself.

If only he remembered as much as she did! It couldn't have been a lie because Shrignold was both an idiot and a hopeless romantic. And he _surely_ would have tried to leave and Notepad would have been fine with it for the sake of having 'fun'. But what DID he shoot them with to send them here?

"You think we're in each other's dreams, Tony?" Sketch asked rather excitedly. "Wouldn't that be so cool!? The most creative things happen in dreams! And I have to say...this place is VERY creative!"

"This place has NOTHING." He gave her a look. "How on Earth would that be creative?"

"Because you make _nothing_ into _something_!"

She extended her arms outwards and grinned at him. He refrained the urge to smile. She was still the childish, typical notepad she always had been. The only difference was her appearance. It didn't matter to him. He knew she'd find a way to be just as annoying as she was before.

"Come on." He said, heading into another direction. "Let's find a way out."

"W-What!?" Sketch exclaimed in surprise. "But what about the others?"

"What _about_ them?"

"Don't you wanna' find them?" She turned him around so he could look at her. "They're our friends! If they're here, we can't just _leave_ them!"

"How could they possible BE here!?" He gave her another look. "It was only US who got zapped into this mess. Not them."

"You're not thinking creatively, Tony!" Sketch stressed. "What if that thingy was strong enough to pull Shrignold and his cult here? The whole house!? Robin, Harry, or Manny!?"

"Well, that would be Heaven for me." He grinned. Sketch slapped his chest and furiously stomped around him in circles.

He sighed and crossed his arms. She was either in denial or she was just overthinking everything. Note was the only one who bothered to LIKE everyone in the house, after all. It was so much like her to find them if they weren't there. He once went to reset himself when the time changed and she nearly ripped herself in half climbing the stairs looking for him.

"Fine." He gave in. "We'll look, but only for a bit. I want to get out of here as soon as we can."

"Yay!" She exclaimed. "You won't regret it, Tony! I'm sure they've missed us!"

He sighed and rubbed his temples in annoyance. Just _why_ didn't he leave when he was all by himself? What was the point on looking for Sketch, anyway? She'd just want to drag everyone else along with them! It was too much of a burden, but he didn't feel right going back to the house without her. It just wouldn't be the same.

* * *

"Tony, we've found NOTHING!"

"You don't think I know that!?"

" **I** think you need to look harder! I must've been in the depths of this place and you found me right away!"

"That's because I _wanted_ to find you."

He took a glance at the clock on his wrist. 8:50. They've been searching for about 2 hours now. It took him less to find Sketch! If they were really here, then he would have found them already. But it was far too much work to convince _her_ that...It'd just waste more time, anyway. And why the hell was she bothering him so much!?

"What's your problem?" He asked. Sketch placed her fists on her hips and gave him an accusing look.

"What do you mean!?"

"You're moody." He replied calmly. "The Note I know is always happy and outgoing. Now, you're just accusing, impatient, and blaming me for everything. And that's not very creative, now, is it?"

She went silent at this. He took her lack of a response as a sign to continue, so he kept walking on. He stopped in his tracks once he heard a faint sob behind him. When he turned around, he saw Sketch on her knees with her head buried in her hands. Ink was dripping out of her hands and landed on her dress, staining it. She was crying.

"Sketch?" He asked, a cold feeling come to him. "What's wrong?"

"I-I..." She sniffled, then wiped her nose. She looked up at him. Not only was ink smeared _everywhere_ on her face, but her eyes were puffy and red. If he wouldn't have known she was crying, he probably would have laughed at the mess she made.

"I miss t-them, Tony!" She coughed. "I've n-never gone h-hours without them...i-if they w-were gone, then you'd be there f-for me...what if we can't find t-them?"

He leaned down so he was at eye-level with her. Both of their black eyes met each other and she shook. Every time he'd see a tear drip out from her eye, he felt worse. Tony said, "We'll find them, Sketch. If they're not here, then they're probably safe back at home. Alright?"

She hesitated before smiling. Wiping a tear, she said, "T-Thank you..."

He grabbed her hand and helped her up to her feet. He said, "Besides, you have me. You're not alone."

She squeezed his hand and grinned. "Am I ever?"


	2. Chapter 2

They weren't here.

If there's one thing Tony learned, whatever you're looking for is gone after you've spent 7 hours looking for it. Sketch kept insisting to search for them, but he knew that she was going to give up eventually. The place they were in seemed _far_ more bigger than anything else. There wasn't much hope in finding anyone besides them. Or what they've seen already, for that matter.

Sketch pouted and sat down on nothing, arms crossed. Tony inwardly sighed. Was she going to yell at him again, or was she just frustrated with him? He couldn't tell anymore. That thing has always been unreadable.

"It's not fair!" She stomped her foot childishly. Tony took this as an opportunity to sit across from her. She had bags under her eyes and he could just tell from the lack of her energy that she was tired. The two of them needed sleep, didn't they? Humans need more hours than inanimate objects do, or at least that's what he assumed. He glanced down at his clock. 1 A.M. Jesus, he'd almost been up for a _day_!

"Tony!" She yelled.

He looked back at her. "Hmm?"

"How come no one else is here!? You'd think that, with such a big place, there's _SOMETHING_ or _SOMEONE_ bound to be out there!"

"Mhm."

"I mean, we've spent HOURS looking for them! The LEAST they could do is show us where they've been!"

"Mhmmmm."

"Tony, are you even listening!?"

"Mhmmmmmmm."

He wasn't, really. Maybe it was obvious. He didn't quite care. He was too deep in thought of trying to figure out _how_ they became human. You don't just take an object and give it a brain without some fairy tale magic. Maybe _that's_ what happened. It wouldn't be the most insane thing that's occurred to them. Every object in their damned house was sentient and sang. It wouldn't be a surprise if one of them truly "came to life".

But why on Earth would anyone want to do _that_? People feared their life as it is. It must have took some madman to want to turn a murderous clock and notepad into humans. He knew Shrignold couldn't do it because all he wanted to do was marry everyone to each other. Maybe Roy was the cause of this. He caused EVERYTHING.

" _Tooonnnyyyyyy_..."

Tony noticed the lack of anger in her voice. When he looked at Sketch, he noticed that her eyelids kept dropping. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. "I'm tired."

"Sleep, then."

Sketch gave him a hesitant look. She asked, "You won't leave me while I do..?"

He refrained the urge to laugh. "Where on Earth would I _go_? We're in the middle of nothing. I think that should be the least of your worries."

Sketch smiled and laid on her side. She said, "Goodnight, Tony."

"Night, Note."

Sketch shuffled a bit before finding a comfortable position. He would've joined her if the circumstances were different. He needed just a _little_ more time to think. Because he knew that, if he had time to think things out, he was able to find compromises. Out of everyone else in the house, he was probably the smartest. Next to Robin, anyway. Love made Shrignold stupid, Colin was biased of the lies on the Internet, and the Notepad preferred expression over intelligence.

When he focused on his shoes in thought, his eyes started to drop. This was ridiculous. His human body wouldn't let him stay up for days to an end like he used to. Tony laid on the ground beside Sketch and closed his eyes. Might as well get used to it...

* * *

"WAKE UP, SLEEPYHEAD!"

Tony awoke with a jolt when he heard Sketch's voice in his ear. He felt his ear start to ring and rubbed it in pain. Sketch was hopping around him rather excitedly. The bags were gone from her eyes and she looked as hyper as ever. Tony never understood how she always woke up happy. He felt rather sluggish in the mornings.

He looked down at his watch and gasped in surprise. 11 A.M. He _overslept!?_ How could that be possible?...Oh, right. He was human. They can't wake themselves up without the help of technology. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and groaned. Why was not being a clock such a _burden_?

"How are ya' feeling, Tony!?" Sketch leaned down beside him. "You slept for quite a bit."

"Yeah, I know." He snapped. "Why didn't you wake me up!?"

"I did!" She defended. "You wouldn't wake up the first time I tried, you know! I woke up, like, _hours_ ago. And you won't believe what I've found!"

Tony rubbed his head and helped himself up off the ground. He asked, "What?"

 _WOOSH!_

Tony felt the tip of something aimed at his neck. He assumed it was her pencil again, but when he looked down at her, he noticed the triangular end of what she was holding. It was long, thin, and black. It was droopy, too. Like the ink on her skin. Why did it look so familiar to him? Sketch's hand clutched on the circular bottom of it and narrowed her eyes.

"EnGuarde!"

" **What** ** _is_** **that!?** "

Sketch withdrew the weapon from his neck and giggled. She held it out to observe it. "Looks like one of those clock hand thingies, if you ask me. It's much sharper than the ones you had on your face, though."

She held it out towards him and continued. "I found it laying somewhere not far from here. _Aaaaaannnnddd..._ guess what! Your name's on the handle."

Tony gave her a confused look. " _My_ name?"

She nodded and urged the weapon further towards him. He hesitated before taking it and checking the handle. There, written in yellow print, read: _'Tony'_. Why on Earth would there be a weapon here with his name on it? He never had any when he was clock. He could just drain the life out of anyone with a mere flick of his hand.

"What about your pencil?" He suddenly asked to Sketch. "From earlier, I mean. Where did you find it?"

"Oh, you mean _this_?" She grabbed it out from nowhere. "It was right next to me when you woke me up! If I had to defend myself, I might as well have used it, right?"

"Does it have your name on it?"

She looked down at the pencil and gasped. She said, "It does, Tony! Look!"

Sketch shoved the pencil in his face so he could see. He smacked it away and gave her a glare. When his black eyes traveled over the clock hand, a cold feeling rushed down his spine. Why were there weapons here? And what was it for? There was no threat anywhere around them that they could use it on. At least from what they've seen.

"Do you think this is part of our human form!?" She asked and snapped Tony back into reality. "How cool would that be? You, the duelist, and me, the art maker!"

"Sketch." He warned. "This isn't something to joke about. These are _actual_ weapons."

Sketch froze and placed an inky hand to her mouth in realization. She said, "Oh."

"Drop them." Tony said. He let go of the clock hand and let it drop onto the 'floor'. It made a loud clinking sound that echoed. Sketch was about to drop hers but held onto it tighter. Tony tilted his head and crossed his arms impatiently. Why didn't she ever listen to him?

"What's wrong, Sketch?"

"B-But..." She stared at the pencil in her hand. "What if this is our _imagination_!? Can't you see how fun dueling would be? We could do it forever if we wanted!"

She grabbed the clock hand and offered it to him. She said, "Come on! Let's see who's the better fighter!"

"No." He replied. "I'm not going to hit you."

"Why?" She stuck her tongue at him. "Are you scared? Or were you just grown up told to not hit a lady?"

Tony didn't say anything. Instead, he simply whipped around on his heel and started walking forward in another direction. Sketch froze in place and stared at him. Quickly, she grabbed his clock hand and ran to catch up with him. She said, "H-Hey! Where are you going!?"

"Home." He replied, stopping in his tracks. "And don't run with sharp objects in your hand. Didn't anyone teach you that?"

Sketch stared at him in return. She knew that he always boring, but was _now_ the time to keep up old habits!? They had NOTHING to do here! And, seeing the weapons she found...t-they could play pretend! It was _something_. She couldn't just stay here and walk around all day. She did that already! Repeating anything again was boring.

Getting no response, Tony turned away from her and kept walking. Sketch followed behind him and narrowed her eyes at his back angrily.

"Come on, Tony! Why won't you fight me? We'll do it just once!"

"And if by once, you mean that one of us accidentally injures the other?" Tony replied sarcastically. "No thank you."

"You just gotta' be careful!" She continued to complain behind him. "What's so bad about pretending? It won't really hurt us if one of us gets injured!"

"Yes it _will_ , Sketch." He turned back to her. "Unlike our normal selves, humans can DIE. If a mistake happens and there's nothing to fix it, then it will be fatal. Who knows what will happen if we die in these bodies. We may never come back."

"Why does that bother you?" She argued. "You LOVE to kill!"

"Not _YOU_!"

He saw Sketch's glare soften. He groaned and immediately turned around, picking up his pace to find the exit to this place. He was tired of dealing with her. She kept insisting and pushing him to do things he didn't want to do. Didn't she realize how much he cared for her!? Why would she ever expect him to _willingly_ fight her? He knew Sketch was childish, but this was out of line.

* * *

"T-Tony...?"

Her voice came from beside him, but he ignored it. She still kept following him even after he walked off earlier. Why couldn't she just leave him be? It was so stressful to deal with her alone.

"Tony..."

He moved his head to the side to avoid looking at her. If she got in front of him, he'd lightly push her out of the way and continue on his trail. He needed NO disruptions if he was going to find the way out of here. If only Sketch could realize how much of a priority it was...

"I-I'm sorry..."

He glanced at her, but looked away. He didn't need any pity. He never needed the sympathy from anyone. This went for her, too. She should know where her boundaries are. And if she didn't, it was fine time that she learned about them now. He felt her hand slip onto his arm.

"P-please, Tony...listen t-to me..."

She was shaky. He could hear the sobs in her voice. He stopped walking and sighed. If she _dared_ to cry again, he swore to Roy...

"I-I dropped them. Long ago. The pencil and the clock...thing..."

He looked back at her and saw that she was hiding behind his arm. If it were to hide her tears, then it didn't work. He could feel them staining his clothes. Again, a cold feeling came to him. Why didn't he like her crying? Did he care about her _that_ much?

"Are you m-mad at m-me?"

This time, she peeked out from his arm. He saw her eyes all puffy and red like they were yesterday. He sighed and got on his knees to rub the tears out of her eyes. He ignored the ink that stained his gloves while doing so. She was more of a priority to him. Her eyes locked with his.

"No, Sketch. I'm never mad at you. I'm just upset."

She looked away from him. "I'm sorry..."

He removed his hands from her face and stared at her. When she looked back at him, she noticed how sincere he was looking at her. This was probably the first time she's seen a soft, caring side to him.

"Please realize, Note..." He slowly stood. "We need to find a way out of here. I really don't want to fight you in the meantime."

She sniffled. "Let me guess...Because it's a waste of time?"

She was sort of right. Murdering eliminates someone's duration of life. He needed every ounce of time so the universe could continue on for eternities. Constantly trying to take a life was like chasing a bird to its cage. He shook his head.

"No. It's because I care about you. A lot."

He wiped another tear of hers with his thumb. She looked up at him with a smile and he gave her one back. He told her that before, but she didn't think he actually _meant_ it. He seemed like the type to not care about anyone or feel anything at all. Maybe he WAS a big softie, deep down...

"Thanks, Tony."

"Of course." He motioned ahead of them. "Let's keep moving. I think we'll find a way out soon."

Sketch nodded and followed behind him when he started walking again. Things were much lighter when there wasn't conflict between them. Tony preferred it this way. He'd much rather wander around with her across the galaxy for an eternity than being stuck in an constant, murderous loop. She preferred it, too.


	3. Chapter 3

"Do you think Roy's behind this?"

"Oh, most definitely."

"Really? You're sure it wasn't Shrignold?"

" _Please._ Butterflies are as dumb as a toaster. I'm sure he didn't even know WHAT that laser was for."

"Tony, we've gone this way."

He paused in his tracks, making Sketch bump into him. They _have_ been there already. He'd been keeping track of their location by the width and placements of the stars. They might have been going in circles before. He didn't know. All he wanted was to find something new, or the way out of this...

Tony looked across the "sky" and at the constellations above. Sketch pointed out any she saw while they were looking for an exit. It was probably the only thing keeping her from dying of boredom. It could only go so far before either of them gave into the insanity or lose hope all entirely. Neither was on his mind right now.

"Sketch?" He asked. She went in front of him attentively.

"Yes, Tony?"

"You ARE aware that we've been here for three days, right?"

She blinked. He figured that she wouldn't have known because she didn't quite care. He was one who kept track of the dates, months, schedules, and appointments back at home. The question, itself, was kind of pointless.

"No." She shook her head. "Why does that matter?"

"No reason, really." He continued walking. "I wonder if they're looking for us back at home? Harry, Manny, and Robin were gone longer than that, and we ended up having to _find_ them. Do you think they'd do the same for us?"

"Of course they would!" She replied. "We're their friends! I'm sure they've been looking for us since Day 1."

He shook his head. She was too optimistic and childish. He wondered if the real world would ever come to her. It didn't come to any of them because they were just mere objects and their house seemed like a happy place where nothing bad ever happened to the teachers. If the possibility of them staying as humans came true, then maybe they'd have to face reality then...

 **"TONY, LOOK!"** She smacked his face. "ANOTHER SHAPE!"

Tony withdrew from her and held his nose in pain. Jesus, did that hurt! Don't get him wrong, he felt pain as a clock, but a human's nervous system was just too much. Sketch didn't even notice his tears and pushed him further in a direction.

"Look!" She repeated. "Doesn't it look like Colin?"

"I don't really care." He held his nose. "And even if it did, it's just an interpretation of your brain. If it was a reality, however, then it's just highly coincidental. Stars don't intentionally make shapes. Shapes, themselves, are just another way of how we perceive-"

"Blah blah blaaahhhh..." She rolled her eyes. "Just look at it!"

She pointed to it and his eyes followed her direction. It was just a bunch of stars mixed together. It wasn't any special than the rest of the mass around them. He tried to find any shapes out of it. The only thing he could see was a square. Nothing inside, nothing outside. He gave her a bored look.

"What!?" She asked. "You're just not using your creativity!"

She went on her tiptoes behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. He froze from the sudden contact and shivered when he felt the ink come through his clothes. She leaned forward and sang in his ear:

 _"Listen to your heart, listen to the rain, listen to the voices in your brai-"_

"Sketch." He interrupted. "It's a square. Not every square you see is going to be an analogy for a computer."

She let go of him with a _hmph!_ and stormed away. He didn't feel like following her. She was a patch of white in the middle of darkness. It wouldn't be an extreme struggle trying to find her again. Where on Earth could she GO, anyway?

This didn't concern him, though, because she ended up stopping a few steps away from him. He prayed to Roy she wasn't crying again. She probably kept doing it because the female hormones were getting to her. Through his knowledge, he knew that they weren't pleasant. Manny's "special one" never shut up when she was on her menstrual cycle.

...Don't ask how he knows about that.

"There's nothing to _do_ , Tony." Sketch said and crossed her arms. "We have all the paint, paper, pencils, crayons, and ideas back at home! What's the point of being here? If it had anything to do with love, then it's not working."

"You know Shrignold." Tony replied. "His ideas and intentions are far from the true purpose of love. They don't make sense and he doesn't know what he's doing. I'm sure he understands nothing about this at all."

"He's a...a..." Sketch stared at her hands, trying to think of an insult. After a few moments, she continued. "-Meanie!"

" _Meanie?_ " Tony replied, stifling a laugh. "Is _that_ all you have to say about him?"

"Well, what would you say!?" She snapped. "I'm used to liking everybody! I don't know any good insults!"

"How about...he's an _ignoramus_?" Tony leaned forward. "Or, no, wait...an ignorant, hopeless romantic, homophobic eukaryote? An unessential contribution to society? A jerk?"

Sketch stared at him. She asked, "What does any of that even MEAN!?"

"Exactly." He replied, swiftly making his way past her. "Which is why he is going to get a good fistful from me when we make it back home. I've been tired of his presence at the house and that useless cult of his. This mishap is just a good example of _why_ they should get returned to the store."

Sketch got up and started chasing after him. She said, "I-I'm sure it was an accident! He shouldn't get kicked out for it!"

He looked back at her. He asked, "I thought you said he was a 'meanie'?"

"Everyone has a good side." She replied, panting. "The best thing to do is to keep searching for it until you find it. When you look past his faults, you'll see that he just wants everyone to love each other!"

"Sucks for him." He kept on walking. "Because I don't have any love to give."

"Nonsense, Tony!" Sketch waved that off. "You love time, don't you? That's something!"

"I have a _passion_ for time." He glanced back at her. "That's like saying you're in love with drawing. You're not romantically or sexually, pardon the pun, 'drawn' to it, are you?"

He expected her to question it. In any of their perspectives, 'love' was usually drawn to platonic means or towards their hobbies. He always knew that it meant more. Lecturing himself on a variety of topics made him informed on what _true_ , human love was. He wanted her to realize it, too.

Instead of giving him a reflective answer, Sketch giggled. " _You said sex~_ "

He sighed, and moved forward.

* * *

He was getting sick of this place. The sound of stars flying around them and the space of nothing was comforting for awhile, but now it was annoying. He kept seeing the same things over and over again! Sketch seemed to find new things in the sky wherever they were walking, but he couldn't. From how long they've been looking around at nothing, his pupils probably couldn't dilate anymore. His legs were starting to get sore, too...

"Tony, can I hold your hand?"

He glanced beside him at Sketch, who was trying to inch her hand into his gloved one. He withdrew it away from her and gave her a look. He asked, "Why?"

"I'm _bored_!" She exaggerated. "Plus, I know you're a big softie! Deep down, I know you wanna hold my hand!"

"W-What?" He felt some heat come onto his cheeks. "What are you talking about, Sketch? Why on Earth would you want to hold my hand!?"

"You held mine all the time when we were back home!" She pouted.

"That's because you were a _notepad_. I was helping you move around, is all."

He looked away from her and took a look around. Still nothing. Maybe it was time to sleep again. His body was getting more sore by the minute. If they kept walking for days to an end like they were, then he was sure he'd never feel his legs again. THAT was a weird thought...

Sketch kept pouting beside him, deep in thought herself. She didn't know why, but she felt more attached to Tony since they were here. Maybe it was because he was the only one with her, but she recalled feeling like this before. He was the only one who'd play with her and make sure she was okay, after all. Besides...he said it himself that he cared about her! A lot.

"Let's sleep some more." Tony said. Sketch blinked.

"You sure, Tony? I'm not very tired..."

"Well, **I** am." He rubbed his eyes. "You can keep going if you'd like. I have all the time in the world."

With that, he lied down on his side. When he closed his eyes to start to sleep, he heard a _thump_ come from behind him and something warm come onto his back. When he turned around, he saw Sketch laying beside him. She turned back at him and grinned.

She said, "I'm gonna' bunk with ya, Tony!"

"Why?" He yawned. "You just said you're not tired..."

"Doesn't mean I can't force myself to sleep! I don't feel like going anywhere without you."

He turned away from her and laid back down. He didn't understand why she was so dependent on others. Someday, she'll have to do things on her own. What will she do, then, he wondered? He won't be there to help her, that's for sure! She should learn to tend to her own things like he did. It was natural to be independent, after all.

Curiosity took him, though. He opened his eyes a few moments later and asked. "Why?"

Sketch yawned. "Why what?"

"Why don't you want to go anywhere without me?" He repeated. He didn't even realize he was staring at the 'ground' the whole time he said that. He couldn't bring himself to look back at her, either. Why couldn't he look her in the eye, all of a sudden...?

"Because..." She rolled to the other side and hugged his back, mumbling. " _I...love...you.._."


	4. Chapter 4

_...What?_

Tony felt his whole body freeze the moment those words left her lips. He was at a loss for words. Well, he had a lot he wanted to say. His mouth just refused to go with them. Sketch continued to snuggle beside him and hug him tighter. He wanted to get out of her grasp or force her off of him, but he couldn't. Not because she was stronger than him or anything, but there was something refraining him from doing so...

What _was_ it?

"S-Sketch?" He asked. She didn't respond. Instead, he could hear light snoring coming from behind him. He let out a sigh and stared off into the distance. He put a gloved hand to his cheek and felt an excessive amount of heat there.

Why did humans have to _blush_ so often?

 _It probably meant nothing._ He assured himself. _She's a murderous lunatic like me. We don't ever make sense. I'm sure it was just the exhaustion getting to her. Maybe she couldn't think of any other excuse. Yes, that's it. Nothing to worry about._

He took his hand off his cheek and felt his eyelids start to drop. He didn't fight sleep this time and let his eyes close on their own. His hands crept on top of Sketch's as he started to drift off to slumber. The sound of the constellations moving around them faded out her snoring and set him in a state of ease.

* * *

 _"T-Tony..."_

His black eyes fluttered open at the sound of a voice. He woke up earlier but had been trying to sleep in since. which was pretty rare for him. He could make out different colors from the blurriness of his vision. He rubbed his eyes with his gloved hands and blinked a few times until it focused.

The sight of Sketch on top of him was _not_ what he'd been expecting.

 **"OH MY GOD!"**

Sketch jumped back from his exclamation and fell off of him. Her head landed on the ground with a _thump_ only a few inches away from him. Tony could still feel the heat on his chest and something moist on his shirt underneath. He lifted up his coat in confusion and rubbed it with his finger.

"Y-You're awake..." Sketch sat up and looked in surprise. Tony rubbed the back of his head and gave her an annoyed look.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"N-No reason!" She stood. "I just thought you were...um...still asleep?"

"You know I'm an early bird." He stood with her, feeling a beating in his chest. "What were you _doing_?"

"Just...trying to wake ya' up!" Sketch replied with a wave of her arm. For some reason, he was unconvinced. She normally had that playful tone whenever she spoke, but it sounded somewhat serious when he woke up. No one could play him for a fool. He shrugged it off and looked around.

"What time is it?"

"I dunno'." Sketch shrugged. "You're the one who has a watch."

 _Oh. Right._ He glanced down and checked the time. 4 A.M. Nothing too early or too late, from where they were. He'd still say he was on schedule. Day 4 or 5 since they've been in this hellhole. Maybe 6. It felt like a month, though. He looked back at Sketch and noticed she was fidgeting with her fingers.

"Something wrong?"

She looked up at him and noticed he was staring. She shook her head in response. "Nope! Not at all, Tony. I was just wondering when you're ready to start looking around again?"

"Anytime you're ready." He held back a yawn. "Why are you so eager to go this morning?"

"I wanna' get back home to our friends!" She replied. "It's getting a _lil_ ' cramped in here, don'tcha think?"

He looked around at the billions of mass of space around them, then back at her. The dull look he had on his face said everything. Sketch dismissed him with a wave of her hand and started walking in a different direction. He followed behind her at a moderate pace. It was a weird start to have Sketch leading them, but she seemed in a dominant mood this morning. Maybe she might find the way out?

* * *

Maybe not.

Much like when Tony led them, Sketch couldn't find anything for a full hour when she was filled with...erm...hope? He couldn't tell what she was feeling, actually. She normally was expressive enough that he _knew_ before she'd say it.

Come to think of it, a lot of things were different about her today. The way she was avoided eye contact with him and kept her space. It concerned Tony. She didn't know what "personal space" was before and had no hesitation when it came to screaming in his face when it came to a normal basis.

Maybe he should ask about it. Women liked it when men knew if something was wrong, right?

"Sketch?" Tony asked. She looked behind her attentively.

"Hmm?"

"Is something wrong?"

She turned silent. A signal went off in his mind. Something was _definitely_ wrong. Was it him? Or was she just missing their friends? He wanted to know. If something bugged her, then it bugged him. Sketch shook her head a few seconds after.

"Nope! Nothing's wrong."

"Are you sure?" Tony asked. He knew she was lying when she nodded in response. He let out an impatient sigh and looked around them. He never favored being nosy and hell if he'd _act_ like he was. He already pushed a subject last night and that was the ONLY sign he wanted to portray of him being nosy.

 _Wait. Last night._ A couple of memories came to him and were a bit foggy. She said something that put him off...something about her loving something? Oh wait. _HIM!_ He hadn't heard that before...Maybe THAT was bugging her?

"Hey, Sketch?"

"Yes, Tony?"

"Did you mean what you said last night? He asked. Sketch stopped in her tracks and Tony had to halt so he wouldn't bump into her. She placed an inky hand to her chin in thought. He circled around her so he could look her in the eye. A few moments later, she shrugged.

"I don't remember. What did I say?"

"Hmmm...If I remember correctly," He made eye contact with her. "You said you loved me?"

She froze in her tracks after he said that. A smile came onto his lips when she did. _Aha._ He got her! The heat came to her face when she looked at him. She quickly turned away from Tony and crossed her arms, laughing.

"Oh, _that_?" She waved her hand. "I was just kidding, Tony! Just...wanted a laugh from you, is all. Did it work?"

"Hmm..." He went in front of her and leaned down, studying her face intently. "I don't think it was a joke, Sketch...Are you SURE you don't love me?"

"P-Please!" She gave him a nervous smile. "Me? Loving _YOU?_ Gimme' a break, Tony!"

She nudged his arm playfully, but didn't get a response. When she looked at him, she saw the lack of any expression on his face. Just a moment ago he looked playful and happy. A mixture of guilt and concern churned in the pit of her stomach. He turned away from her and started storming off in a different direction. She panicked and chased after him.

"T-TONY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

He looked back at her, then picked up his pace. Sketch had to hold up the ends of her dress so she wouldn't trip on them. She was able to catch up to him after a minute or two. When she did, she placed her arm on his shoulder and panted. "T-Tony...s...stop..."

"Why?" He snapped. "I'm just a joke. Remember?"

"I...didn't..m-mean.." She placed a tired hand on her chest, not being able to say anything more. He tsked and kept walking. She held the ends of her dress again and continued following after him desperately. Thankfully, he was going at a slower pace this time and she was able to catch her breath.

"C'mon, Tony!" She yelled from behind him. "It's hard to run in heels!"

"If loving me is such a joke, then you can find your way out alone." Tony replied angrily and kept walking. The fact that him going at a faster pace with her running said a lot about the two.

"B...But..." Sketch wiped the sweat out of her eye. "I didn't mean it!"

"Oh?" He stopped in his tracks. Sketch nearly tripped if she hadn't caught herself at the last second. She panted and placed an inky hand on Tony's back. She rested her head on it and continued: "I...was just...scared..."

"Why?" He asked. She took a couple of deep breaths.

"Because." She replied. "I didn't wanna' freak you out or anything...I was afraid you'd leave me if I told you something like that!"

"As a joke?" He turned to her. "Yes. I was just about to, actually."

"But it wasn't a joke!" She tugged on his arm. "I mean it, Tony. I do love you. I was just scared of you leaving me because of it!"

He sighed and placed his hand over hers. The ink came through his glove like it did before, but he didn't care. It was enough for him that she as honest for once. Everyone at the house constantly told him that no one would ever love or care about him. Hearing that from someone he cared about so deeply himself hurt like hell.

Is that why humans are so sensitive? His heart shattering felt a million times worse than having Sketch elbow his nose hard enough it bled. It made more sense, now...

"I love you, too, Sketch." He held her hand tighter. A warm feeling came to her and she smiled. She leaned in for a hug and held him as tight as she could. Which was pretty tight enough 'cause she heard Tony cough when she did. He pried his arms free from her grasp.

"I've just one question, Sketch?"

"Yes, Tony?" She asked, hugging him as if she'd never let go.

"Just _what_ were you doing on top of me this morning?"


	5. Chapter 5(ENDING)

He felt her stiffen around him. He could only assume that it was either bad or it was just embarrassing. A human on top of another was much more different than a notepad sitting on top of a clock. They could intersect, from what he knew. And that couldn't be good, could it? Sketch slowly let go of him.

"W..well..." She rubbed the back of her head. "It's a long story..."

"Enlighten me." Tony crossed his arms. "It's not often I wake up to you on top of me, after all."

Sketch looked up at him and noticed the serious look he was giving her. He was always like that. He rarely ever joked and always meant whatever he said. What if he hated her for what she tried to do? She couldn't afford losing her long-time friend and crush! Just when he reciprocated her feelings, too...

"It's n-not really long." She blushed. "I just...tried to...kiss you?"

"Why? What happened?"

"N-Nothing!" She defended. "You just looked so cute when you were asleep and I felt your hand on mine and...well...I got carried away?"

He stared at her for what felt like an eternity. A bead of ink dropped from her forehead and she wiped it off. Inside, she was praying to the heavens and Roy that he wouldn't leave her again. Maybe it was a bit weird...Who cares! She was always unpredictable. And it wasn't her fault that he was so gosh darned cute!

"That's fine." Tony finally broke the ice. "I'd prefer you trying to kiss me when I'm _awake_ , however."

"Yeah..." She twirled her hair. "Sorry."

"Would you like to try now?" He suddenly asked. Sketch blinked in return, taken aback.

"W-What?"

"Would you like to try now?" Tony repeated. "You've my consent if you want it, Sketch."

"Now where did _this_ come from?" Sketch placed her hands on her hips, teasing. "Tony, the talking clock, wanting a KISS? Never in my life have I heard such a forbidden thing! Maybe when Colin once asked me for one once, but never _Tony._ "

Tony would be the LAST thing you'd expect to want to be romantic. Colin hit on Notepad when she wasn't human before and she once encountered a scroll that did, too. It was weird that she picked the only unromantic guy to want a kiss from. And now he was _asking_ for one! It was like all of her dreams combined...

"H-Hey!" He argued. "YOU were the one who tried to kiss me while I was asleep! If anything, I think YOU'RE the one who wants it."

"Yeah. I do." She confessed, stepping forward and trailing her hand over his jawline. "I'm just teasing."

"Hmph." Tony pouted. He reminded Sketch of herself whenever he did that. It was extremely rare to see him acting childish. Maybe, if they were together...she'd see that side of him more often? He was always a softie, deep down. Hidden behind all those walls of sarcasm and sass...she knew there was a loving, caring, and romantic Tony.

She could feel him leaning in towards her, so she did, too. Only a second later their lips were locked and they were kissing. For how long, they didn't know. But that was probably because they were in the middle of space and time probably didn't exist. Still. She felt warm when Tony pulled away and her cheeks heated up.

When she opened her eyes, however, she panicked. Both of them forgot about her ink-stained lips, which were all over Tony's now. She cringed away and expected him to scold her or be disgusted and leave...Instead, he wiped it off and laughed.

"I am _definitely_ cutting Colin's wires when we get back."

"W-What?" Sketch placed her hands to her lips in surprise. "You aren't mad?"

He gave her a look. "Why would I be mad?"

She pointed to her lips, then his. He understood the hint right away and shook his head. He said, "No, I'm not. You can't help it. Much like me with my goatee. I was afraid it'd bother you..."

"Of course not, Tony!" She jumped up and held his hands. "I love you the way you are! Besides...I liked it."

"Ditto." He squeezed her inky hands tighter and looked around. "Think we should keep searching now?"

"O-Oh." She looked around for herself. "Haha! Yeah! I forgot..."

He let go of one of her hands but kept the other in his grasp, leading her in a new direction of the space around them. Sketch happily followed beside him and squeezed his hand as much as she could. This must've triggered his childish side because he squeezed back and they started to have a little strength war. Sketch lost only a moment after they started.

-

"So...does this mean we're together now, Tony?"

"If you'd like."

"I would like it!"

"Then we are."

Sketch swayed their hands back and forth as they wandered around. Tony didn't mind it. She couldn't reach that high and it calmed him a bit. It was as if a heavy weight was lifted from his shoulders. He'd been keeping his feelings from Sketch for a couple of years now. He would've confessed to her eventually because he might've lost her to Colin if he didn't. God, he hated that computer...

"Hey, Tony..."

She saw him look down at her with that curious look of his. He asked, "Hmm?"

"Does this mean you're _mine_ now?"

Not only did his grip on her hand tighten, but he stopped in mid-step. Sketch gave him a curious look and he looked away from her, blushing. He kept on walking just so she wouldn't question it. His heart thumped against his ribcage, which probably made all the blood flow to his cheeks. He rubbed it with his gloved hand so they'd cool.

"I-I guess..."

"Well..." Sketch leaned on Tony's arm. "Just know that I'm yours from now on! No one else can have me but you~"

 _Dear god._ Tony felt himself get hot. Sure, he sometimes thought about having Sketch all to himself but...why did it make him feel so nervous now? It was a mixture of feeling both embarrassed and needy. He never favored feeling either. Hearing her tell him that she was his made him feel like his heart was going to explode.

Imagine how gruesome that would be! He'd add it to his list of massacres back home for sure.

"S-Sketch?" He asked, inwardly scolding himself for stuttering. She didn't mind it and turned to him with a smile.

She asked, "Yes?"

"May I...uh...hug you?"

"Sure!" She exclaimed, embracing him in another painfully-tight hug. "You don't need to ask, ya' know!"

Tony held her arms and let out a sigh of relief when she loosened her grip. He didn't know why he wanted one, honestly. Perhaps he enjoyed being in her embrace? He'd be sure to keep her in his whenever she wanted. Despite what everyone thought, he was really lonely. Maybe he wanted Sketch in his life from the first time he saw her.

"Alright." He let go. "Enough of this sappy stuff. Let's keep searching."

"Whatever you say, Tony!" Sketch let go of his hand and looked around them. "You know, it feels like it's been forever since we've been home. Our exit was a surprise and I'm sure our return will be, too!"

Tony blinked as he watched her run around in the stars. When did _she_ ever make sense? It was completely abnormal for the both of them. Either the two of them were starting to go crazy or their optimism reached its final peak. If they couldn't find a way out, however, then it'd cause the downfall of realization and they probably wouldn't ever return to the house.

THAT was another scary thought. He shuddered.

-

"Why do you persist on going _this_ direction, Sketch?"

"If you think about, the stars form a line this way!" She pointed to said stars above. "It's the only clue we have. And it's the CREATIVE way out!"

 _Ugh._ Tony looked at the incandescent bodies around them. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't find any shapes or lines in any of them at all. Maybe it was because of his simplistic and dull mind. Or maybe it was because this whole 'constellation' thing was nonsense? He got a headache from contemplating it.

"I wonder if we're bound to be stuck here forever?" He casually thought aloud. Sketch turned to him with an accusing look.

"Nonsense, Tony! If you think like that, we'll NEVER find a way out. And, even if we were destined to be in here forever...well...I'm just glad it's with you."

He gave her a smile. No need to say that he was as well because she already knew it. He often wandered time and space alone. The isolation there was fine, but he always had someplace to come back to. If he were to wander there for an infinity, he'd be more comfortable if it were with Sketch.

"I hope no one's getting into my paints." She suddenly crossed her arms. "Or my pencils, crayons, brushes, paper, colored pencils, watercolors, pastels, chalk, pens, ink..."

Her voice wandered with the infinitive silence around them. Tony chuckled.

"I just hope no one's in my spot on the wall."

She looked back at him and playfully hit his arm. He gave her a grin in return and she continued walking. Nothing bothered him at that moment. Which was a first because he always had _something_ to complain about. You'd think that being set in a place with nothing would make you crave something else but he had all he needed. Besides some pizzer, of course. A bed wouldn't hurt, either...

"I just can't believe it." Sketch suddenly sighed. Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Believe what?"

"That Shrignold's plan worked." Sketch huffed. "He sent us here to fall in love and it worked."

"Not entirely." Tony rubbed his chin in thought. "I've had feelings for you _before_ this trip...and you must have too, right?"

"Y-Yeah." She blushed. "Good point, Tony. It's just gonna' be a little weird if we come back as objects again...We can't kiss then, huh?"

"Nothing to worry about." He replied instantly. "Not every relationship needs kissing."

Sketch nodded. They really didn't. Sure, they had _mouths_ as objects, but...without lips, it'd be really awkward. Maybe Colin only offered her a kiss before because she could've had lips in his Digital World. She'd never want that, though. He was too much of a geek for her. The thought of them together made her gag.

-

 **"TONY TONY TONY TONY TONY TONY TONY TONY TONY TONY TONY TONY!"**

 _"Don't wake me, dear. I'm making batteries..."_

 **"TONY I THINK I'VE FOUND THE WAY OUT!"**

Tony shot up from his spot on the floor and found Sketch in his face, as per usual. Everything went blurry and his head started to spin. Maybe he should take his time getting up...but still! A way out!?

Sketch took his hand and pulled him up. She started dragging him with her towards somewhere while he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Once they were focused, he could spot a bright light in the distance. His heart nearly leapt out of his chest when he saw it. Finally! They could escape this horrid place!

He picked up their pace and ended up leading Sketch towards it. Every minute they were getting an inch closer. It was taking forever, but that's what you get for traveling through space. Sketch grinned once the sight of it was only a few feet away from them. Home sweet home!

-

 _WOOSH!_

-

The sight of the Living Room came to them only a few seconds later. Sketch and Tony fell out from the porthole and onto the floor. The impact was loud enough that it made a couple of cups on the table vibrate. Sketch supported herself off from the floor to take a look around. Tony removed his face from the carpet and spat out something.

Everything was the same, but it felt...different. Maybe something happened while they were away?

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs caught both of their attention. From the sound of the British accent and the monotone voice, it was Harry. He was complaining about something with ink and the carpet. Tony took a curious look at his new mistress and gasped. Sketch did the same when she saw him.

Nothing about them changed since they were in that...place! They glanced up at took a frantic look at Harry. He had colored eyeballs, skin, and thick strands of hair. He was HUMAN!

More footsteps came from the stairs and Robin ran into the room with Manny at his side. They only recognized them because of the colors and voices. They were human, too! Slowly, the other teachers came into the room and piled the circle around them. _All_ of them were human!

What the hell happened!?

-

 **END?**


End file.
